The by-laws, which are fubjoined to the act, embrace fo much wisdom and humanity, that the resources for the fick and infirm of that body promife to be of a duration equal to that of the coal-trade itself.

The law for this benevolent purpofe is intituled, "An act for establishing a permanent fund, for the relief and fupport of fkippers and keelmen employed on the river Tyne, who by fickness, or other accidental misfortunes, or by old age, shall not be able to maintain themfelves and their families; and alfo for the relief of the widows and children of fuch skippers and keelmen."-This act was paffed in the year 1788.

By the by-laws fubjoined to the act, the weekly allowances to fick or fuperannuated members are follow :

To those who are difabled by temporary lameness
or fickness

To those who are fuperannuated or disabled by age
To widows without children

To widows having two children

To widows having more than two children

£.

s. d.

5

400000

Superannuated members, unable to work at the keels, are allowed to obtain any other employment; but if they can thereby earn at the rate of four fhillings per week or upwards, their allowance from the fund is then reduced according to the following

table.

If earnings amount to 45. per week and under 5s. 5s. per week and under 6s. 6s.

per week and under 75. 7s. per week and under 8s.

To receive from the fund

2s. 6d. per week.
25. od. per week.

Is. od. per week.

Nothing.

If 8s. or more, they are to contribute 6d. per week to the fund.

THE

A VIEW of the INFIRMARY. with the New Building.

THE INFIRMARY.

Inftant a glorious angel-train defcends,
The Charities, to-wit, of rofy hue;

Sweet love their looks a gentle radiance lends,
And with feraphic flame compaffion blends.
At once delighted to their charge they fly:
When, lo a goodly hofpital afcends;

In which they bade each lenient aid be nigh,
That could the tick-bed smooth of that fad company.
It was a worthy edifying fight,

And gives to human kind peculiar grace,
To fee kind hands attending day and night,
With ten ler ministry from place to place;
Some prop the head; some from the pallid face
Wipe off the faint cold dews weak nature fheds;
Some reach the healing draught; the whilft, to chace
The fear fupreme, around their foften'd beds

Some holy man, by prayer, all opening heaven difpreds.
THOMSON'S CASTLE OF INDOLENCE.

In defcribing this truly philanthropic and extenfive inftitution, we cannot adopt a better mode than copying the moft effential parts of the account recently published by authority of the governors.

"To counterbalance the various evils and miferies of life," fays an elegant and humane writer, "Providence has planted in our natures a benevolent principle, which inclines us, by an involuntary emotion, to relieve the diftreffes of our fellow-creatures, and gives us the purest and moft fenfible pleasure for our reward." From the univerfal diffufion of this amiable principle, few projects calculated to alleviate the fufferings of the lower orders of fociety have, in this age and nation, failed of meeting with effectual fupport: and, perhaps, no part of the country has been more confpicuous than the town and neigh

bourhood of Newcastle, in patronizing establishments for the relief of the poor, under the aggravated afflictions of want and disease.

"A flight sketch of the origin and ftate of the Infirmary will be a neceffary introduction to the following account of the plan lately adopted for its extenfion and internal improvement.

The origin and prefent fate of the Infirmary.

"In the beginning of the year 1751, the members of a refpectable fociety in Newcastle refolved, on account of the deaths of fome, and the advancing age of others, of their body, to difcontinue their stated meetings: but, previous to their doing fo, to leave fome permanent memorial of the fociety having exifted, by the proposal of fome project of public utility. On the day appointed for this benevolent purpose, the late eminent furgeon, Mr. Richard Lambert, then a young man, fuggeted the eftablishment of an Infirmary; and this appearing more beneficial than any other project which had been prefented, met with the unanimous concurrence of the meeting.* In confequence, a letter, figned K. B. was inferted in the Newcattle papers, ftrongly recommending a fubfcription for effecting fo defirable an object. A fubfeription was accordingly opened, on the 9th of Feb. 1751, and foon attracted the notice of the following diflinguifhed characters: the earl of Northumberland, the lord bishop of Durham, lord Ravenfworth, Sir Walter Blackett, bart. George Bowes, efq. the mayor of Newcastle, (Ralph Sowerby, efq.) Sir T. Clavering,

Mr. Jofeph Airey, Mr. George and Mr. Ralph Headlam, and Mr. Richard Burdus, were alfo members of this fociety, and the earliest benefactors to the Infirmary.